Bag dispenser



, 3,477,5@11 @@C M p 'E923' J, F.. KEENAN n BAG DISPENSER Filed April 5, 1922 i 2 heetsheet B Fl E 30 l B /z/k/ /a x t; f /5 1 /l f /F/ n J /M O ,ez Z4 Z5 /2/ zo Fl E- E.. 6

J. F. KEENAN BAG DISPENSER Dec. M QB.

Filed April 5. 1922 2 haotaheet 2 FIE 5 idatented Een. l1, 1923.

atraen .TOEN .'E. KEENN, OF RICHMOND, VIRGIN, ASSGNOB: 0E' ONE-HALF 'lO LAWRENCE B. GRASBERGER, F RICHMOND, 'VIRGNIA.

essv Drsrn'nsna- Application filed April 5, 1922.-: Serial No. 549,771.

- To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that l, JOHN F. KEENAN, a 4

citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Richmond, in the State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bag Dispensers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to receptacles for holding paper bags as used in stores, and delivering them one by one as required; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, whereby bags of different make are handed out one by one and those not immediately wanted are retained in the storage receptacle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudt nal section through a bag dispenser constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same showing the feed mechanism. Fig. 3 is an end view of the feed mechanism. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal view of the feed mechanism drawn to alarger scale.

A receptacle 6 is provided for the paper bags B which are folded flat and laid in a pile one on top of another. The receptacle is preferably a drawer, such as can be arranged to slide under a store counter. The drawer may be divided into a series of compartments, each provided with a similar feed mechanism for delivering the bags, or a series of separate drawers may be provided and may ybe arranged side by side or one above another as found convenient. The receptacle 6 may also be a box adapted to be stood on a store counter.

The front or delivery end 7 of the drawer or other receptacle 6 is provided with a horizontal slot 8 close above its bottom 9 which is flat. The upper side 10 of the slot 7 is preferably beveled, and a stop plate 12 is secured at its upper part against the end 7 inside the drawer, by means of a screw 14. The plate 12 has a vertical slot 13 for the screw 14- so that the height of the plate can be adjusted.

The lower end of the stop plate has a downwardly and forwardly projecting stop tongue 15 which is preferably a strong spring, and this tongue has a vertical lip k16 at its free end. The lip 16 is adjusted vertically so that only one folded paper bag at a time can pass under it, as shown in Fig. 11. The tongue 15 permits the bag next above the bottom bag to be fed forwardly stepby step,-until it strikes the lip 16, and it guides and smooths the endsv of the bags so that they can pass under the lipV one after anotherin their turn.

The rear and open ends of the bags are Vsupported in the receptacle upon a block having a series of steps 18, so that they descend gently and step by step from one step to another, as they are withdrawn. This admits air between the bags so that they will slide freely, and prevents the rearward movement of a partially ejected bag.

rEhe bottom bag of the series is free, with its rear end portion upon the bottom 9 of the receptacle, and out of contact with the rear end portion 0f the bag next above it.

The feed mechanism for the bags has a rod 20 which is slidable longitudinally in guide holes 21 in the bottom 9 of the receptacle. A crosshead 22 is secured on this rod, and slides with it back and forth in a slot 24 in the bottom 9. A helical spring 25 encircles the rod in the slot, and is arranged between the crosshead and the front part of the bottom 9, so that it presses the rod rearwardly. A spring feed plate 26 is secured to the crosshead, and has suitable upturned and sharpened lips 27 at its free end for engaging with the underside of the bottom bag.

A bar 28, hook-shaped or angle-shaped in cross-section, is secured to the rear part of the feed plate, and is adapted to engage with the boX portion of a bag when folded under its side portions like the bottom bag shown in Fig. 1, and when bags with box bottoms are used. The bags are pressed down in the receptacle by any suitable weight 30, which is ypreferably heavier at its front end than at its rear part. A metal plate with its front end portion doubled over is shown, and forms a satisfactory weight forV holding the bags in engagementJ with the feed mechanism.

The bottom bag is fed forwardly through the slot 8 each time the rod is pulled forwardly, and is gripped by the lip 16 so that it does not slide back when the spring retracts the rod. The projecting bag is then removed by hand, and the mechanism is ready to deliver the next bag whenever wanted, the front end of the bag having been straightened and smoothed by contact with the inclined tongue 15.

What I claim is:

1. fn a bag dispenser, a receptacle for the portions of the bags and admit air to the spaces lbetween them, and feed mechanism arranged at the bottom of the receptacle and operating to slide the bags one by one down the said steps and partially through the saidv slot.

2. l'n a bag dispenser, a receptacle for a stack of bags provided with an outlet at its front end, a series of steps which support the rear end portions of the bags .and separate them into parcels having air spaces between them, and feed mechanism 'operating to slide the said parcels of bags downthe stack one by 'one 'through' the said outlet,

ysaid feed mechanism having a stop provided with an inclined portion which permits the lowest bags of the stack to slide forwardly while the bottom bag is being ejected.

In testimony whereof l.` have' affixed my signature. w i

JOHN n KEENAN.,

Vsaid steps and to slidev the bottomba'gsofthe e 

